Box Autos

At the 2013 Salon International de l’Auto, Geneva, Switzerland, Hyundai will give a European premiere to New Grand Santa Fe – its long wheelbase premium E-segment SUV.

Hyundai has brought New Grand Santa Fe to Europe to meet the demand for the long wheelbase version of the popular model, which will contribute to the company capturing a larger share of the E-segment SUV market in Europe.

Tuned for Europe
New Grand Santa Fe was first seen at the 2012 New York International Show and the European variant benefits from several significant adaptations to the US specification, such as adaptive front lighting, lane departure warning and smart parking assist systems.

Furthermore, the ride and handling characteristics have been tweaked specifically for European buyers who demand a more damped, responsive driving experience.

‘Storm Edge’ styling continues
New Grand Santa Fe features Hyundai’s well-received ‘Storm Edge’ form language – first introduced on New Generation Santa Fe. The new styling is based on Hyundai’s ‘fluidic sculpture’.

‘Storm Edge’ captures the strong and dynamic images created by nature during the formation of a storm.

New Grand Santa Fe was developed alongside its standard counterpart from the earliest stages, enabling designers to fashion a coherent form that bears a strong family resemblance.

Despite this, there are clear differences between the two. At the front of New Grand Santa Fe, a re-shaped front grille sits above restyled fog lamps and a more pronounced bumper. In profile, the rear doors are noticeably longer to accommodate the third row of seats. A new, longer roof panel accentuates the car’s load-carrying capabilities. As a result, the rear quarter glass now follows the contours of the C-pillars more closely.

The overall height, width and length of New Grand Santa Fe have been extended (+10, +5 and +225 mm respectively) due to the enlarged wheelbase (+100 mm), while still retaining New Generation Santa Fe’s dynamic yet sophisticated style.

Further differentiation is provided by striking new 18- and 19-inch alloy wheels, while re-styled LED lamp clusters frame the swaged beltline. At the rear, separate exhaust pipes, rather than the twin unit on the regular model, finish the aesthetic upgrades.

Increased capacities
Thanks to its increased wheelbase, the new Hyundai New Grand Santa Fe offers more second and third row roominess compared to the standard model, allowing up to seven occupants to travel in greater comfort.

Head and legroom is improved for both second- and third-row passengers. Second-row occupants receive 10 mm more headroom and 50 mm increased legroom, while the third row offers head and legroom increases of 33 and 35 mm respectively.

Cargo capacity, when the third-row seats are folded flat, has increased to a best-in-class 634 litres. A 3-litre under-floor luggage box, located between the wheel arches, offers additional storage to the spacious 631-litre cargo trunk capacity – in total a 49-litre increase over New Generation Santa Fe.

Considered powerplant
New Grand Santa Fe will be available to European buyers with a single, carefully-selected powertrain. A powerful Euro5-compliant, 2,2-litre ‘R’ VGT diesel engine, producing 197 ps, is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. European buyers will also benefit from Hyundai’s Active ECO system, enabling drivers to maximise the vehicle’s eco performance – New Grand Santa Fe will emit 192 g/km of CO₂ (combined).

Cabin refinement and flexibility
Hyundai’s three-mode steering system, FLEX STEER, is standard on New Grand Santa Fe. The selected mode – normal, sport and comfort – is displayed on the enlarged 4,3‑inch TFT LCD Supervision Cluster.

New Grand Santa Fe also benefits from a single, vehicle-length panoramic sunroof with no centre beam, allowing natural light to flood the cabin. If, however, rear passengers would like to reduce natural light levels, internal curtains can be erected manually from within the door.

Available in six- or seven-seat combinations, New Grand Santa Fe offers ultimate flexibility whether carrying occupants or luggage. The New Grand Santa Fe’s seven-seat configuration is split 2:3:2, while the six-seat variant is split 2:2:2. The second row of seats can independently slide and recline, while third-row seats fold flat.

A powered tailgate yields a wide opening to the cargo space, allowing maximum convenience when packing items into the trunk.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO at Hyundai Motor Europe, commented, “New Grand Santa Fe retains all of New Generation Santa Fe’s key strengths – eye-catching design, great comfort, efficiency and quality – while offering improved roominess. We firmly believe that New Grand Santa Fe is a compelling purchase proposition and will continue to attract new customers to Hyundai from the perceived ‘premium’ brands.”

The New Grand Santa Fe will be manufactured from April 2013 at Hyundai’s number 4 plant inUlsan,Korea.